The Bittersweet Process of Temptation
by Ravyn Faolan
Summary: He was destined for greatness yet outcasted. His aptitude overlooked, Usuki Raike turned to a strange, snakelike visitor who promised him great power for a price in return. The death of his clan, and the life of his sister.


Hi, all.

For Chapter Two of _My Fighting Dreamer_, I was going to write a flashback about Raike and Eithne. But well, it ended up being all about him, as you should know the other is about her. So I decided, why not write Raike's story of downfall? You all know how it's going to end – though there is a surprise, but I believed it would have been nice to see the person behind the mask.

I do hope you enjoy – I love this chapter.

Usuki Raike, Usuki Eithne, Usuki Choki, and all the Usuki culture, clothing style, and other such things belong to me.

But the _Naruto _sense of things as well as Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and others, belong the Masashi Kishimoto. Whom, I would, if I was one of those kinds of people, worship.

* * *

It was a sunny day in the Moon Village – the sun shining, not many clouds, and a soft breeze – but one was not all happy. He sat on the back porch of a large, but humble house, his feet dangling over the edge and above the koi pond. His dark, rust red hair fell in almost choppy strands around his face, moved only a little out of their usual place by a hand cupping his pale chin. Dark, coal black eyes that usually shone were dulled at the moment, as the young boy sat, deep in thought.

He was dressed in the simple boys' outfit of forest green and black, with cream lacing the collar and sleeves. However, there was the ever apparent mark of Usuki clothing – the bunches of fabric around the collar and where the shoulders met the arm. Many thought this to be strictly decorative, and it was, for the most part.

A soft sigh escaping his lips, Usuki Raike let his eyes wander from the pond to the fence, then to the village, where the yearly festival of the Quinquatrus was taking place. _Yamcha-san's festival,_ he thought, almost bitterly to himself, _and my spoiled little sister's birthday…_

Raike most likely wouldn't have minded all that much that his sister was 'blessed' with the 'honor' of being the demon-god's earthly vessel until she died – the attention it ensured almost sickening, however. No, he wouldn't have minded much except for the fact that always haunted him, always dragged him down, and always seemed to put him in a lower place in his peers' and elders' eyes. Thankfully, not his mother's.

He was the only Usuki in history – being related to the vessel made it worse – that was born without the advanced bloodline traits. At first, it hadn't bothered him, and he had strived to become the best shinobi in his class - now, his goal, the village. Perhaps even become the Usukikage, as every ninja village had a kage.

So far, he had accomplished one of those goals – best in class. Truly, some were saying that Raike might become the Usukikage. He enjoyed hearing those musings – doing anything he could to shine. But whatever he seemed to try to do, his little sister would best him at the attention game – doing even the stupidest things. He tried to tell himself that was the way with young children, they were all fools but didn't know it, and that he had been one once.

However, all that he told himself didn't work. And one time, those doubts and envious thoughts got the better of him.

"Oy! Raike!" A whisper suddenly broke through the pensive stillness – and the boy looked up, his hand moving to his knee, though not completely startled.

"What do you need, Choki?" Raike asked, a bit boredly. The fourteen year old redhead was a bit irritated in being interrupted.

"Oy, oy.." the voice sounded again as a stocky figure stepped over the fence and made its way around the pond to the porch, "I came to check on you. Why aren't you at the festival? All the girls got all dressed up…" His face broke into a genuine smile. Usuki Choki was not related to Raike, as families in the Usuki clan were separated, of course, by relations, but that didn't stop the two becoming the best of friends. Choki's unpredictability and mirth were great components to Raike's dexterity and seriousness.

Raike smiled a bit – Choki always knew how to lift him out of any low spirits. "You should know me well enough by now that I'm tired of my sister getting all the attention when I go out. And you know today that she'll be getting heaps of it."

Choki sat next to him, smiling understandingly, "Yeah, yeah, man," he said, batting the air, "But that doesn't mean you need to focus on that! Come on, Eithne isn't completely enjoying herself anyway. You can tell from the way she searches the crowd for you. And besides, there are rumors of a few travelers. I'm sure we need to show them the Usuki's best."

Raike smirked sadly as he stood up with Choki, "You mean the Usuki's best _shinobi_, if I'm best at anything. I can't say I'm the _Usuki's_ best…therefore…" He sighed, his eyes downcast a bit again.

Choki mentally cursed himself for bringing it up, but that didn't stop him from brightening up the situation. "So? Who cares if you don't have the advanced bloodline trait – now? Besides, little Miss Vessel has it and she's only growing about as half as fast as you." He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "She _adores_ you, mate. It'd be good of you to show up on her birthday."

The redhead nodded sharply. "Right. Thank you, Choki-kun," He smiled in relief. No matter what, Choki always seemed to make whatever he was going through about as horrible as a prick on the finger. Slipping on his black _zori_, the Usuki chuunin – soon to be Jounin, he heard - walked out of the pond area and over the fence, heading to the festival with the other genin.

Pretty much the center of attention wherever she went, the three year old Usuki girl naturally enjoyed it. Though, she couldn't revel in it. For some reason, the attention she received every time she went out to do something seemed hollow, and lacking. Today she was on a platform by the temple, watching everything that was going on. Truly, she was tired of sitting on the stuffy sheets and pillows and just wished to go down and partake in the festivities. But the priests insisted that she had to be kept up there, much to her own and her parents' discomfort. However, the deepest wish of her heart today was to see her brother. Usuki Eithne never really understood why he didn't seem to love her as much as her parents. She adored him, though. He was the best shinobi of his class, and soon, the other chuunins. Excited, she wished to her Goddess, Kachuba, that he could become a Jounin soon, and then later, the Usukikage. The current Usukikage, Sandaime, was a quirky but interesting woman. Eithne liked her a lot, also in the sense that the Usukikage didn't give the younger girl any special things.

Sadly, the Usukikage was off enjoying the festival herself. Eithne sighed. What she would give for her brother to be here, even if he was grumpy. And it was hot. She blew a strand of pale orange hair out of her face, a small hand tucking it behind her ear. Breathing out a sigh of boredom, she closed her pale grey eyes, wanting to lay back and stretch. _It's just stuffy!_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she grinned. "Nii-chan!" Eithne chirped happily, "Raike nii-chan!" The priests immediately shushed her, but that didn't stop Raike from bringing his friend up to see Eithne.

"Konnichiwa, Eithne-chan!" Choki grinned right back as they greeted her. Raike pretended to be bored, but the ghost of a smile flitted over his face as he saw his younger sister grinning at him.

"How are you, Eithne?" Raike asked, his hands behind his back as he stood beside his sister's platform – deliberately ignoring the guards' small scolding. Thankfully, Choki, with his quick tongue, soon quieted them.

Eithne's grin changed quickly to a bit of a thoughtful pout. "Bored," she said finally, "I'm bored. And it's stuffy up here." The pout changed now into a full one. "I want to go see the festival." Her eyes lit up as she got an idea, and turned back to him excitedly. "Raike nii-chan, could you take me to the festival?"

One of the guards had overheard. "Sir, you are her brother, but The Vessel – peace, strength and dexterity be hers - is prohibited to visit the festival. She is standing in for the great Yamcha-san – speed be to his wings."

Raike's brow furrowed. "Well, in all respect sir," Choki cut in, seeing as his quiet friend was a bit of a loss for words – not to mention a decision, "We know the great Yamcha-san – speed be to his wings – is everywhere, correct?"

"Well, yes," the pompous guard replied, "Our religion believes that since he is second in power only to the wise and great Kachuba-sama – health be hers – he can be everywhere at once."

"Right," Choki said, smiling, "So, if he is everywhere, and Eithne-chan can only be in one place at a time, wouldn't he like her to 'revel in the festivities'?"

Raike inclined his head to hide a smirk. Choki always got his way, and the means to which he achieved it were perpetually amusing. His coal black eyes moved to the face of his sister, who was grinning in delight. He smiled inwardly. After all, hadn't it been him who was working on teaching her hidden meanings behind things? Like his father, he believed – vessel of the god or not – that Eithne should be taught early. He was – and he still was one of the best in the village. At least, he believed he was better than many of the Jounins – though they had little – but he was still at Chuunin. Hopefully, he could get on good turns with the Usukikage and be promoted.

The guard narrowed his eyes at the genin boy. "Usuki Choki, your antics are known. Would you like to dampen your record today by continuing?"

Raike chose this time to step in and defend his friend, noticing that the other boy had become tongue tied for the moment. "Officer-sama," he said smoothly, laying on the respect and seeing how the guard enjoyed it, "I would have to agree with Choki-kun here. My sister is bored and tired of sitting on the podium. Is it not true that The Vessel – peace, strength, and dexterity be hers -," he added, "protects Usukigakure? If so, she should not be kept sedentary like this. Might Choki-kun and myself take her to the festival? I am sure the Usukikage would like to check on The Vessel's welfare as well."

Raike patted Choki on the shoulder firmly, the genin a bit shocked. He had be indebted to Raike for getting him out of troublesome situations in the past - but the redhead had never said this much. Or…refer to his sister with her title and the added after phrase with such cold feelings. Perhaps Raike had actually…begun to hate her.

The guard smiled, "It is thanks to The Goddess – health be upon her – that we have such a responsible young man as you in our ranks. It is my only wish that you had been – well, you know."

Raike winced inwardly. If people would just stop bringing that up! He wasn't a child any longer – approaching his eighteenth birthday in the fall – and he would appreciate if people would just wise up and shut up about it. Not that he was sensitive, just tired of hearing it. "Yes," he almost snapped, helping his sister off of the platform, "Of course. We'll be going now. Eithne, my hand."

Eithne, solemn, took her brother's callused and strong hand with her own pale one. _There's a bad feeling in the air, _the toddler thought to herself, _I hope no one's angry. I don't like it when people are angry._

The larger hand closed around hers protectively and a bit tightly – releasing the pent up stress. The girl, for some reason, had always enjoyed it when her brother was holding her. Just like when her father – Barak – did, even if she didn't know the reason behind it, she felt safe and secure.

When they were away from the temple, Eithne looked up at her older brother's stern expression. "Raike nii-chan?" She said softly.

Raike looked down at the pale orange haired toddler, "Yes, Eithne?" he said quietly, his tone sounding a bit controlled.

"_Arigato,"_ she said, squeezing his hand, "I was getting bored." Her face split the frown into a small smile, "You always know what to do, Raike nii-chan!"

The tips of his mouth were tugged upward by the hint of a smile. "Well," He said, "I appreciate that, Eithne." He ran his thumb over her hand fondly and smiled this time, closing his eyes briefly.

The smile grew bigger on his younger sister's face. It was hard – but she was always elated when she got her older brother to smile as if he really, truly meant it. Most of them were fake, anyways. As if she had gained a burst of adrenaline, she grabbed Choki's hand, who walked beside her, and swung her arms as she grinned.

Choki looked over to the chuunin on his left, a smile on his face as well. _Good work, mate. You may not know it, but to her, you're the best shinobi, blood line or not.

* * *

_

Damn.

If you'll excuse me to be a bit narcissistic, I'm deathly proud of that chapter.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!


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